Blank folding apparatus for wrap-around carton blanks having selectively operable lock means



Dec. 22, 1970 E. c. SHERMAN Y 3,543,555

v BLANK FOLDING APPARATUS FOR WRAP-AROUND CARTON BLANKS HAVING SELECTIVELY OPERABLE LOCK MEANS Filed May 23, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet l WWW ' mvmvmn: EA RLE c. $HRMA N ATTORNEY 3,548,566 AROUND CARTON Dec. 22, 1970 E. c. SHERMAN BLANK FOLDING APPARATUS FOR WRAP BLANKS HAVING SELECTIVELY OPERABLE LOCK MEANS 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25,

INVENTOR- EARLE C. SHERMAN ATTURNIJY Dec. 22, 1970 E. c. SHERMAN 3,543,555

BLANK FOLDING APPARATUS FOR WRAP-AROUND CARTON BLANKS HAVING SELECTIVELY OPERABLE LOCK MEANS Filed May 23 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ll zo moq .8303 M33 20580 530$ 33%? W Filed May 2;, 1968 Dec. 22, 1970 E. c. SHERMAN 3,548,566

BLANK FOLDING APPARATUS FOR WRAP-AROUND CARTON BLANKS HAVING SELECTIVELY OPERABLE LOCK MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet L J SMALL PRODUCT LARGE PRODUCT 8B POSITION INVENTOR.

EAPLE C. SHERMAN KJJMQ) ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,548,566 BLANK FOLDING APPARATUS FOR WRAP- AROUND CARTON BLANKS HAVING SE- LECTIVELY OPERABLE LOCK MEANS Earle C. Sherman, Monroe, La., assignor to Olinkraft, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 23, 1968, Ser. No. 731,373

Int. Cl. B65b 21/24 U.S. Cl. 53-48 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A folding apparatus and method for automatically folding and locking overlapping margins of a wrap-around article carrier blank where the blank is of the type whose margins are formed with a plurality of lock means which are selectively and automatically operable depending upon the oversize or undersize condition of the articles packaged.

In the art of folding and locking a blank of packaging material about groups of articles, such as glass bottles, in continuous fashion, it has been observed that the articles vary in dimension to the point that a wrap-around blank must be provided with at least two locks, each accommodating a different perimeter dimension in a finished or fully fabricated package in order to insure a tight package.

Accordingly, it is a particular feature of the present invention to provide a machine which is operable automatically and continuously to lock the overlapping margins of a wrap-around article carrier blank by sensing the oversize and undersize condition of the articles and utilizing the results of the sensing function to select one lock means of a plurality of lock means for operation to fasten said overlapping margins to complete the package.

An apparatus embracing certain features of the invention may comprise folding means for manipulating the overlapping margins of a wrap-around blank encircling a plurality of articles to develop a package with a mechanical lock, said folding means including a folding element which is movably mounted and biased towards the articles so that the folding element is operable to sense the oversize and undersize condition of said articles, said folding element being movable by said articles from a first position defining a small article position to a second position defining a large article position, and lock means operable to actuate a mechanical lock in said wrap-around blank in either position of said folding element.

A method or process embracing certain principles of the present invention may comprise the steps of providing a wrap-around article blank of the type having overlapping end margins, cutting and scoring said blank so that said end margins include at least two lock means, advancing a plurality of articles continuously from a source where said articles are disposed in groups and vary dimensionally within limits, supplying a blank to each group of articles, folding the blanks about the articles to encircle the articles and to overlap the end margins of the blank, sensing the oversize or undersize condition of the articles during the forming step, and arranging the lock means in said margins of said blank such that when an oversize condition is sensed, a first lock means is available for operation and when an undersize condition is sensed, a second and dif ferent lock means is available for operation.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from an examination of the succeeding specification when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank having lock means defining a large article lock and a small article lock which 3,548,566 Patented Dec. 22, 1970 are. selectively operable by the folding means and folding method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view, partially in section, of a packaging apparatus illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the folding apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a finished package;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the right end of FIG. 2 with certain material broken away for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 3 partially in section;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the article support plate taken along line 5-5;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77;

FIG. 8A is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 where themovably mounted folding element or sensing means is shown in the small article position;

FIG. 8B is a sectional view taken along the line 88 where the movably mounted folding element or sensing means is shown in the large article position;

FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 are sectional views taken along the lines 99; 10-10 and 11-11 respectively.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 10 refers generally to a wrap-around article carrier blank fabricated of suitable packaging material, such as plastic or paperboard, having end margins 11 and 12 formed with selectable lock means A and B.

Lock means A comprises a small article lock generated by the cooperation between lock member 13 and lock element 14, and a large article lock generated by the cooperation of lock member 16 and lock element 17.

Lock means B is of the same general structure and configuration but of opposite hand. In lock means B, a small article lock is generated by the cooperation between lock member and lock element 140, and the large article lock is effected by lock member 160 and lock element 170.

As will be more apparent as the specification proceeds, the small article lock of a given lock means A or B is selected when the articles being packaged are undersize, reducing the perimeter dimension of the package, thus allowing end margins 11 and 12 to overlap to the point where lock member 13 and mating lock element 14 (or lock member 130 and lock element make a locking connectlon.

correspondingly, the large article lock is selected when the articles are sensed to be oversize, increasing the perimeter dimension of the package and reducing the degree of overlap in margins 11 and 12 so that lock member 16 and lock element 17 (or lock member and lock element effect a locking connection.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 2A and 5 through 11, note that articles KK are being advanced in groups of six along support plate 18 by flight bars 1 919 in well-known fashion.

Blank 10 is fed individually to six articles KK and the margins 11-12 thereof are folded and project downwardly as shown in FIG. 5.

As stated previously, the product flow is from left to right as viewed in FIG. 3. Consequently, sectional views represented by FIGS. 5 through 11 illustrate the sequential steps and the apparatus necessary as the product flows to the right powered by flight bars 19-19.

Referring now to FIG. 5, note that the product KK is hearing directly on support plate 18. Exterior end margin 11 depends downwardly while interior end margin 12 is being manipulated toward the underside of the articles KK in that secondary tuck flap 21 is brokn out and away from end margin 12 by forming rod 22. Rod 23 forms a pivot for the hinge end of flap 21 and rod 24 operates to cast margin 12 inwardly and upwardly toward the underside of the articles KK,

In FIG. 6, margin 11 is being manipulated by forming plate 26 in cooperation with disk or roller 27 to break out lock elements 14 and 17 by rotating hinge flap 11' out of the plane defined by margin 11. Margin 12 is being further formed and folded toward the underside of articles K-K.

In FIG. 7, further folding of end margins 11 and 12 is illustrated and it is now apparent that end margin 12 will move under the articles K-K first, i.e. prior to the folding of margin 11. Thus, margin 12 will be termed the inner or interior margin while margin 11 is denoted the outer or exterior margin. Note that forming rod 24 has run out and is replaced by forming plate 28 while margin 11 has transferred from disk 27 to disk 29.

In FIG. 7, disk 31 is shown in dotted lines and represents the member to which margin 12 will transfer from rod 23 as the lock forming operation progresses.

Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, it is apparent that inner margin 12 has been cast to its final position under articles K--K and the support plate 18 has run out. The product and the partially completed package are now supported by at least one pair of disks 32 and 33, margin 11 having transferred from disk 29 to disk 30 and thus to final disk 32. Margin 12 has transferred from disk 31 to disk 32.

Referring to FIG. 3, it is apparent that disk 33 is carried by rod 34 in turn supported on pin 36. Arm 34 is movable about pin 35 operative to cast disk 33 from a first position defining a small product position to a second position defining a large product position where the respective positions are adjustably limited by stud 37.

Coil spring 38 operates to bias disk 33 toward the small product position so that the disk 33 is urged into contact with the product (via the blank as it encircles the product) being packaged so as to sense the perimeter dimension of the package just prior to the locking step.

In subsequent claims, the disk 33 and its support structure may be referred to as a movable folding element or sensing means.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show disk 33 in the small product and large product positions respectively. Stated otherwise, in FIG. 8A movable folding element or disk 33 is sensing a small perimeter diameter in the package, while in FIG. 8B movable folding element 33 is sensing a large perimeter diameter in the package.

Consequently, since FIG. 8A represents a small product position, the lock being selected is a small article lock effected by the cooperation between lock element 14, for example, of margin 11 and cooperating lock member 13 of margin 12.

In contrast, and should article size dictate, a lock may be effected alternatively by the cooperation of lock element 17 of margin 11 with cooperating lock member 16 of margin 12.

Thus, it is apparent that during the folding step accomplished by the cooperation between fixed disk 32 and movable forming element 33 margin 11 is brought to a fixed point, while margin 12 is moved by element 33 to bring margins 11 and 12 into a snug overlapped condition depending upon the article dimension sensed.

Margin 12 may overlap margin 11 to the point where lock element 14 is in register with lock member 13 (a small perimeter diameter and small product is sensed) or margin 12 may overlap margin 11 to a less degree (compare dimension E of FIG. 8B with dimension D of FIG. 8A) and in this event lock element 17 falls in register with mating lock member 16 to effect a lock in alternative fashion.

It is to be noted that a small article lock or a large article lock is always selected and the selected lock is the one which will create the tightest package or greatest hoop stress in the wrap-around black and the non-selected lock remains idle or unoperated.

It is entirely within the spirit and scope of the present invention to select forming disk 32 as a movably mounted 4 forming element either alternatively or in combination with the movable element 33. Nevertheless, in the present embodiment of the invention, disk 32 is fixed as to inward and outward motion (to and fro relative to the package), while disk or forming element 33 oscillates as previously described.

For convenience and for considerations of minimum friction, it is frequently desirable to mount all disks 27 through 33 so that they are rotatable about their central Vertical axis.

After the selection of the small or large article lock, as dictated by movable sensing element 33, a reference to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 illustrates the final positioning of margin 11 in that FIG. 9 shows the package transferred from disks 32 and 33 to support plates 39 and 41. Blade 37 casts margin 11 from the position shown in FIG. 9 to the position of FIG. 11.

Thereafter, margin 12 is further manipulated to effect a secondary lock step, the details of which are not disclosed or described in that they are not pertinent to the understanding of the present invention.

It is anticipated that a number of modifications maybe devised in the method and apparatus of the present 1nvention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. For example, as stated previously, it may be desirable in certain package designs to fix disk 33 and permit d1sk 32 to oscillate. Alternatively, it may be desirable to utilize both disks 32 and 33 as movably mounted folding or sensing elements.

In addition, support plates 39 and 41 may be re slliently supported so that they are free to wobble or oscillate to and fro relative to the product, in unison or individually.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for folding and locking an elongated blank having an inner and outer interlocking margin about a plurality of articles comprising: means for advancing said articles in groups along a supported surface; means for feeding blanks into register with said groups; means for folding said blank about said group of articles; and means for overlapping and locking said margins; the improvement wherein at least one of said means for overlapping and locking said margins is resiliently mounted and biased toward said articles and operative to move to and fro in response to dimension variation of said articles so as to effect a lock between said margins in either one of a first position or a second position, each of said positions corresponding to a different package perimeter and the selection thereof dependent upon the relative article size at the point of said lock.

2. The improved apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for overlapping and locking said margins which means is resiliently mounted, acts directly on one of said margins.

3. The improved apparatus of claim 1 wherein the resiliently mounted means acts on said margin at a point below the support for said articles.

4. The improved apparatus of claim 1 wherein the resiliently mounted means functions by exerting a force against a panel hingedly connected to one of said margins.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,061,986 11/1962 Paps 5348 3,203,152 8/1965 Wilcox 53-48 3,220,155 11/1965 Sherman 5348 3,338,025 8/1967 Harrison et al 53230 3,361,331 1/1968 Weiss 229 3,395,791 8/1968 Graser 206 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner N. ABRAMS, Assistant Examiner 

